The present invention relates to the field of regulating fluid flow rate, and in particular regulating very small flow rates such as the rate at which propellant gas is fed to space electric thrusters.
One means known to the person skilled in the art for regulating such a flow rate is a device known as a “thermocapillary” device, i.e. an electrically conductive capillary duct suitable for being connected to a source of electric current. Such an electric current flowing in the capillary duct causes it to be heated by the Joule effect, which heating changes the head loss due to the capillary duct and thus changes the mass flow rate of fluid passing along the capillary duct for a determined feed pressure.
Nevertheless, a major drawback of known thermocapillary devices is that they enable the fluid flow rate to be varied over a very limited range only, in particular when the feed pressure is constant.